MH-MKSTEMP(1)

✨ MKSTEMP — create a temporary file ✨

okay bestie, welcome to the MH-MKSTEMP(1) page, part of the General Commands Manual family 💖 this one is short and sweet and lowkey iconic, so let's go 🦋

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

/usr/libexec/nmh/mkstemp [-help] [-version] [-directory directory]
     [-prefix prefix] [-suffix suffix]

that's the whole vibe. five-ish switches, zero drama 💅

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🎀 DESCRIPTION 🎀

so mkstemp creates a temporary file using mkstemp(3), or — if the -suffix switch is available and you actually use it — mkstemps(3). no cap.

the file name identifies a unique, newly created file, and it always contains 6 characters that appear to be random. six. every time. periodt ✨

here's the switch-by-switch breakdown:

• -directory — specifies a directory in which to create the file 📁
• -prefix — specifies an initial part, before the 6 characters, of the file name 🌸
• -suffix — only supported on platforms that provide the mkstemps(3) library function. it specifies a suffix to appear after the 6 characters; if it should begin with a special character such as a period, that must be explicit in suffix 💀 (yes, you have to type the dot yourself, the code is not gonna read your mind bestie)

🫶 important lore: unlike arguments to most switches of other nmh commands, the arguments to mkstemp switches can begin with a dash. so don't panic when you see one, it's fine, it's giving chaotic but valid.

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👑 EXIT STATUS 👑

if mkstemp successfully creates the temporary file, it prints the file name on standard output and exits with status 0. slay ✅

on failure, it prints a diagnostic message on standard error and exits with status 1 😭

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🧚 PROFILE COMPONENTS 🧚

None

literally none. nothing. empty. the void. and honestly? iconic 🕳️✨

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🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

• mkstemp(3)
• mkstemps(3)

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⭐ DEFAULTS ⭐

• -directory — current directory
• -prefix — none
• -suffix — none

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💜 and that's the whole page, bestie. go forth and make temp files responsibly.

this was nmh-1.8, dated 2014-03-16 — yes she's vintage, yes she still ate 💅👑